60 Background of Work and Study in Public Health 



science. Koch had received his commission to study cholera 

 largely because of his work in tuberculosis, and the German 

 pathologist's studies of both diseases greatly stimulated the scien- 

 tific aspirations of the young Michigan student. He said: 



In 1882 {Koch} demonstrated in laboratory animals that tuberculosis 

 could be produced by inoculating pure cultures of a microorganism culti- 

 vated from tubercles. ^°3 In 1883 he announced his discovery of the cause 

 of Asiatic cholera, followed the next year by a long paper on the same 

 subject, with all necessary proofs.^^" In 1884 Koch also published his 

 magnificent long paper on the cause of tuberculosis, a model for all 

 time."^ What a year that was! and what enthusiasm these two papers 

 evoked! I remember it all as if it were yesterday, and much of the old 

 thrill comes back! I knew very little about Pasteur in those days, but 

 Robert Koch was my hero, and his influence more than that of any other 

 man decided me to enter pathology and bacteriology.^^- 



During these years there were other important discoveries"^ 

 which stimulated study. Three of the most celebrated, among 

 many others, were: Lofifler's and Emil Schiitz's discovery of the 

 bacillus of glanders (1882);"^ Carl Eberth's"^ and Gaffky's"^ 

 discovery of, and v/ork with, the bacillus of typhoid fever (1883- 

 1884) ; and Arthur Nicolaier's discovery of the cause of tetanus 

 (1884)."' Notable, too, v/as the work of several on lobar pneu- 

 monia: Pasteur, Sternberg, Albert Frankel, and Carl Friedliinder. 



Smith, when writing of medical research, did not presume to be 



^°* For a more elaborate discussion, including an allusion to Koch's famous 

 address given before the Physiological Society in Berlin March 24, 1882, see The 

 life of Sir William Osier, op. cil., 1: 198-200. This address was published in 

 Berliner klinische Wochenschrift 19: 221-230, 1882. 



^"Robert Koch, Vortrag ueber die Cholera, Berliner klin. Woch. 31 and 32: 

 477-483, 493-503. Deutsche med. Woch. 32 and 32a: 499-507, 519-523, 1884. 

 Reprinted in Fortschr. der Med. 2(16): 121-134; (17): 141-168, 1884. 



^" Die Aetiologie der Tuberkulose, Mitteil. a. d. K. Cesundheitsamte, 2: 1-88, 

 with 10 plates, 1884, Translated for New Sydenham Society, CXV. 



^^^ Fifty years of pathology, op. cit., 18. 



^^^ See, for instance, F. H. Garrison, Introduction to the history of ynedicine, 



op. cit., 582 fT. 



^^* Vorlaufige Mittheilung iiber die Arbeiten des K. Gesundheitsamtes, welches 

 zur Entdcckung des Bacillus der Rotzkrankheit gefiihrt haben, Deutsch. med. 

 [Vochenschr. 8: 707-708, 1882. 



"^ Der Typhusbacillus und die intestinale Infection, Vortrag 226, Volkmann's 

 Sanunel. Klin. Vortrlige. Innere Med. 77: 2,033-2,050, Leipzig, Breitkopf und 



Hartel, 1883. 



""Zur Aetiologie des Abdominaltyphus, Mittheil. a. d. K. Gesundheitsamte 2: 



372-420, 1884. 



"' Ueber infcctiosen Tetanus, Deutsche med. Wochenschr. 10: 842-844, 1884. 



